Suspect charged with first degree murder, after running down woman, child with truck

12/20/17

Tara Alatorre
Staff

PHOENIX- Trent Ferree is officially charged with first-degree murder by the State of Arizona after intentionally striking a 47-year-old woman and her daughter, a 11-year-old girl, with his truck on Nov. 29, killing the woman and seriously injuring the girl, near Jomax and Cave Creek roads, according to court documents.
Amy Chervenak was pronounced dead at hospital after suffering severe injuries when Ferree struck the woman and girl from behind while walking to the mailbox. Ferree then turned his truck around and running the woman over at least three times, according documents filed with Arizona’s Superior Court.
“Mr. Ferree added that he ran over the adult female three times, making sure he killed her,” according to the court documents. “He added that he lined up his tires as he drove over the victim.”
Ferree admitted to homicide detectives after he was arrested that he was driving around the area looking for a victim to run over claiming that the combination of being under the influence of alcohol and “hearing vibrations and voices that made him want to murder someone,” according to reports filed by detectives.
The victim’s husband, who is an MCSO Sergeant, and several neighbors were able to pull Ferree from his truck and detain him until police arrived, witnesses said.
The 11-year-old girl who has not been identified, is expected to make a full recovery but no other information regarding her condition could be shared at the time this article was written, according to an email sent by Sergeant Jonathan Howard, a representative with Phoenix Police.
Ferree is also being charged with three counts of attempted first-degree murder; for the injuries inflicted on the girl, and two other victims who contacted the police and reported that the same truck attempted to run them over while they were walking their dog. The two other victims, who were not named, were able to jump out of the way avoiding injuries, according to reports.
A Go Fund Me account has been created for the Chervenak family to help with funeral, hospital and rehabilitation costs. The Chervenak family has requested privacy during this time, if you would like to donate the campaign go to, https://www.gofundme.com/chervenak-family-relief.
Ferree’s initial pretrial conference will be on Jan. 30, 2018 at the Arizona Superior Court on Jefferson Street.